St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-01-31

People who went to the opera house last
night expecting to hear an intelligent dis
cusson of the high license question, and to
learn in what way it would aid in restrict
ing the evils of intemperance. were dsap-
pointed. 1t was made apparent at an early
stage of the meeting that the object was to
whip the Republican members of the iegis-
lature into support Of the DANIELS high
license bill, now before the legislature In
this respect the meeting partook more of
the character of political caucus than
religious aSsemblage.
The principal point dwelt upon by the
speakers was that because high license
plank had been placed in the Republican
state platform the Republican members of
the legislature were obliged to support just
such a measure as the leaders of the high
license movement required. 1t seems
never to have occurred to the ora
tors of last nights meeting that
this same Republican legislature had elected
a high tariff man to the United States
senate in spite of the fact that low tariff
plank had been inserted in the Republican
platform. By parity of reasoning there can
be no more Inconsistency in Republican
voting against high license bill than there
was in Republican voting for Gov.
DAVIS for the senate.
Another peculiar feature of this matter
is that some Of the same gentlemen who are
so urgently holding the Republican mem
bers up to the high license rack ere the
same gentlemen who were most persistent
in urging uron their fellow Republicans to
support DAVIS, in disregard of what their
party platform said on the subject of tariff.
Their consistency seems to be in being in
consistent and yet they want to slaughter
any other Republican who manifests the
same trait.
The Republican members of the legisla-
ture who are disposed to act upon theil
own Judgment respecting the liquor traffic
will not relish the bulldozing processes OF
the meeting last night. The threats of de-
struction of all future political prospects fol
members of the legislature who will not toe
the mark on the DANIELS BILL is hardly
the kind of an argument to convince man
who relies on his own judgment and re.
SpectS his independence of character. Still
much less effective as an argument will be
the threat which was made boldly and re.
oeatedly that the members who voted in
opposition to the wishes of the high license
leaders will be branded as corrupt and the
receivers of brides.
This is not the style of argument to con-
vince intelligent legislators nor is it the
way to teach men their public duty.
The charge made last night, either directly
or by innuendo, by the majority of the
speakers at the opera house meeting, thai
The members of the legislature who will
oppose the high license bill before that body
have been bought by the liquor dealers, is an
insult to the representatives of the people
The charge made by some of the speakers
that no man could be elected to the Iegisla-
tufe or to any other public Office in the
cities of st. Paul or Minneapolis until he
had bowed at the feet of the saloon mer
and submitted to wear their collar was as
unfounded as it was offensive
1t was slur upon the gentlemen who
represent Ramsey and Hennepin counties
for which there was no provocaton.
1t was reflection upon the two cities
which will be resented by every citizen who
has their reputation at heart.
Abuse and villlication do not take the
place of argument.
If the advocates of high license canno,
inangurate more rational movement in its
behalf than the demonstration at the opera
house last night they had better abandon
the field